1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a uni-wheel personal mobility vehicle which possesses self-balancing function and is especially equipped with an inertial sensing and control driving module, an in-wheel motor, and a steering mechanism consisting of a transmission pulley set, an idle pulley set, a transmission cable, and a spring set.
2. Description of Related Art
The prototype of a bicycle is first appeared in the manuscript designed by Leonardo da Vinci, however, the entity of the bicycle is manufactured in the end of the eighteenth century. After near hundred years' evolutions, truly modern form of the bicycle was born in 1874, British Roson designed and mad a bicycle with a roller chain and sprockets; thereafter, in 1886, the United Kingdom John. K. Stahly designed a new style bicycle fitted with a fork and brakes, the sizes of the front and the rear wheel of the new style bicycle were the same in order to maintain balance, moreover, rubber wheels were first adapted in the new style bicycle of Stahly, such that, Stahly is later known as the “father of a bike”. In 1888, Ireland's veterinary Dunlop, who mounted an inflatable rubber into the bicycle wheels such that the bicycle wheels were inflatable, Dunlop made the bicycle more complete.
In the early human history, bicycle was one of the main personal mobility vehicles, however, with the advancement of industrialization and technology, various medium and large vehicles such as motorcycles having an internal combustion engine to produce larger power, are gradually becoming the main stream of personal mobility vehicles. Recently, the increasing concern over the environmental impact of the internal combustion engine vehicles, along with the soaring of oil prices, has provided a compelling impetus to develop clean, efficient, and sustainable vehicles. Among the possible actuators for implementing such vehicles, electric motors are considered to be the most viable ones due to their zero-emission nature. Vehicles driven by electric motors are referred to as EVs. EVs appear in the forms of electric buses, electric cars, and so on. They have the potential to curb the pollution problem in an efficient way.
In densely populated urban environments, EVs for personal mobility purposes are increasingly accepted as capable, even appealing, forms of transportation, Vehicles in this category include electric bicycles, electric kick scooters, electric motorcycles, and electric scooters. Following the recent advances in digital computers, sensor and actuator technology, and control theory, researchers now have the opportunity to contemplate radically new concepts for the personal mobility EVs of next generation.
One of the innovative products is Segway, the personal transporter invented by Dean Kamen. Segway is basically a two-wheel inverted pendulum. The equipped control system regulates the total and the differential torques on the motored wheels to keep the transporter balanced, moving forward and backward, and making turns based on the posture of the rider standing on the chassis. Segway's distinct features including zero turning radius and small footprint make it very suitable for providing transportation needs in tight spaces or highly traffic areas. Since the release of Segway, several vehicles with the structure of a wheeled inverted pendulum have been developed. Examples include the B2 vehicle, Toyota's winglet, Honda's U3-X, Enicycle and so on. It is worth mentioning that, unlike Segway's two-wheel structure, both Enicycle and U3-X are similar to pedalless unicycles.
The main power of Segway, Enicycle and U3-X is electricity, which is mostly obtained by burning fossil fuels. They are not like bicycles that the propulsion power comes the rider's manpower without using any natural resources. In view of this, the inventor of the present application has made great efforts to make innovative research to develop a uni-wheel personal mobility vehicle with the self-balancing function and the ability to incorporate man power for propulsion.